Board of Adjustment/Drainage Review Board

In Maricopa County, the Board of Adjustment also performs as the Drainage Review Board.

Mission

To act on requests by citizens to interpret provisions of the zoning ordinance, variances to zoning ordinance standards and temporary use permits. All actions are taken at a public hearing. A decision of the Board is final and may only be appealed to Superior Court.

The Board of Adjustment

is responsible for:

Interpreting the terms of the Maricopa County Zoning Ordinance

Allowing Variances of the Zoning Ordinance where appropriate

Granting Temporary Use Permits

Acting as the Drainage Review Board

The Drainage Review Board

is responsible for:

Hearing requests for waivers to the Maricopa County Draining Regulations

Reviewing appeals and interpretations made by the Drainage Administrator

Meetings

10 a.m.

Once a Month on Thursday

Board of Supervisors Auditorium
205 West Jefferson
Phoenix, AZ 85003

Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are available prior to the meetings. Minutes are available following Board of Adjustment/Drainage Review Board approval. View most recent agendas and minutes for:Board of AdjustmentDrainage Review Board

Member Qualifications

A.R.S. §11-816 A. There shall be one or more boards of adjustment in each county. The board of supervisors may establish 1 board of adjustment that has jurisdiction countywide and that is composed of 1 member who is a resident of each supervisorial district, or 1 board of adjustment in each supervisorial district that has jurisdiction in that supervisorial district and that is composed of not less than 3, nor more than 5 members, each of whom is a resident of that supervisorial district. The members of each board shall be appointed for staggered terms of 4 years each. Members are appointed and/or removed by the Board of Supervisors. The Drainage Regulations for Maricopa County authorize the Board of Adjustment to serve as the Drainage Review Board.

Duties & Powers

Interpret the zoning ordinance if the meaning of any word, phrase or section is in doubt, if there is dispute between the appellant and enforcing officer or if the location of a district boundary is in doubt.

Allow a variance from the terms of the ordinance if, owing to peculiar conditions, a strict interpretation would work an unnecessary hardship and if in granting the variance the general intent and purposes of the zoning ordinance will be preserved.

If authorized by the board of supervisors, review decisions by a hearing officer who hears and determines zoning violations pursuant to section 11-815 and render a final decision. Subsections C and D of this section do not apply to this paragraph. Judicial review of the final decision by the board of adjustment shall be pursuant to title 12, chapter 7, article 6.

Appeals to a board of adjustment may be taken by any person who feels that there is error or doubt in the interpretation of the ordinance or that due to unusual circumstances attaching to the person's property an unnecessary hardship is being inflicted on the person. The appeal shall state whether it is a plea for an interpretation or a variance and the grounds for the appeal.

Any person aggrieved in any manner by an action of a board of adjustment may appeal within thirty days to the superior court, and the matter shall be heard de novo.

The Drainage Review Board may:

Interpret upon appeal the meaning of any word, phrase or section in the Drainage Regulation that is the subject of dispute between the Drainage Administrator and appellant.

Allow upon application a variance from the terms of the Drainage Regulation if it determines that by reason of any peculiar physical characteristics of the specific property, strict application of the Regulation would result in unnecessary hardship upon the applicant and granting the variance would not substantially impair the purpose and intent of the Regulation.